Aftermath of Rains Vary Among Acequias

The recent rain we've experienced throughout the state has been a true blessing. Albuquerque broke an 84-year precipitation record, and many other parts of the state received well over their annual average in just a few days. As thankful as we are for the much-needed moisture, it came with hardships resulting from the floods that followed the rain.

Governor Susana Martinez has declared a state of disaster due to flooding from recent rain storms. Covering the entire state, the declaration makes funding ($750,000) available for local communities through the New Mexico Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. To read the full text of Executive Order 2013-31, click HERE.

Acequias might be eligible to take advantage of damaged incurred due to flooding. Acequias officials should communicate with the emergency manager from their county as soon as possible to let them know the extent of the damage to their acequia.

The NMAA has been made aware of a number of impacts resulting from flooding around the state. Following the flooding, some acequias in the Las Vegas were left under water so damage assessments couldn't be made immediately. They had to wait days until they determined that there was significant damage to culverts, diversion dams, and lots of silting. Rio de la Gallinas Acequia Association is getting the word out to Commissioners from each acequia to inform them to document the damage so they can then submit a packaged request to FEMA. Additionally, a levee broke along the the canal that delivers flood water to Storrie Lake, which initially prevented a much-needed water capture opportunity, but it was later repaired, restoring the ability to send water to Storrie Lake.

Some acequias in both Truchas and Chimayo are dealing with silt, one of which is completely silted and will require a significant cleaning effort before it's useable again. On the other hand, there are acequias that were fortunate to have received a lot of moisture without any major flood damage. In Dixon, according to Acequia de la Plaza Commissioner, Leroy Leonard, "There has been steady rain in the head waters of the Embudo with not so much flash flooding in the arroyos over the last few days. So, the water coming down the river is still quite high, but not heavy with silt as it was in the beginning. It is still quite variable however. Last night there were some more storms and overnight the flow at the gauging station went from about 170 to 400 CFS at around 2:00am. Then it started falling again. As of today, it is running 227 CFS. So, it is still quite a bit higher than yesterday.

He added, "We did have our culvert at the presa uncovered when the Arroyo Lorenzo ran quite hard during the flooding on September 13th. Eventually though, they did encounter some damage, as the rains continued days later. Their arroyos ran severely causing a silting event that was quite intense. Luckily for the Acequia de la Plaza all of their gates were closed.

NMAA urges those acequias who did incur damage to contact their county's emergency manager for information about available disaster relief options below:

Governor Susana Martinez has declared a state of disaster due to flooding from recent rain storms. Covering the entire state, the declaration makes funding ($750,000) available for local communities through the New Mexico Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management.

Acequias may be eligible for emergency funding available for recovery and repairs resulting from the recent flooding. Acequias officials should communicate with the emergency manager from their county as soon as possible to let them know the extent of the damage to their acequia.

A list of contacts, by county, at the NM Department of Homeland Security & Emergency Management can found HERE. The Application for State Disaster Assistance is available on our website. Additionally, you can view FAQs about disaster and recovery provided by the New Mexico Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management here.

Visit the following websites to view interactive maps, tables, and charts for information about recent precipitation accumulations and river streamflow: